Double
by appletart55
Summary: Harry Potter is fifteen-years-old. He's on the verge of winning The Second War against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Something pulls him from his world into the next... and it's a wild ride.
1. Prologue

Double

I don't own Harry Potter. If I did, I'd be relaxing at the Bahamas with a pina-colada in my hand.

Harry Potter is seventeen-years-old. He's on the verge of winning The Second War against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Something pulls him from his world into the next. And all hell breaks loose.

* * *

Harry yawned. He stretched his arms and shifted in his bed. Someone was beside him. It was Ginny Weasley, his girlfriend. Ginny Weasley was a sassy, beautiful red-head. She was also the sister to his best-friend, Ron Weasley.

That wasn't awkward at all.

Still, Harry and Ginny didn't let that little bit of discomfort affect their relationship. She was a great girl.

Harry didn't think that she had any complaints either.

"Harry," said Ginny softly to herself. She was still asleep. Harry looked at Ginny's still, sleeping form and smiled. She was beautiful.

"Ginny, luv, I'm going to head down to breakfast," said Harry to Ginny quietly into her ear.

Ginny murmured something and turned over. Harry grinned. He leaned over to kiss her. Then, he pulled away to go shower.

Harry walked down the stairs of the Gryffindor Common Room around twenty-minutes later. There were a few people in the maroon-and-gold-covered common room. Harry was not surprised to see Ron and Hermione waiting for him there among his classmates. They sat on the maroon couch by the fireplace. Ron lounged lazily and Hermione sat-up with her legs tangled together beneath her.

Harry wasn't too surprised to see his two best-friends. Sometimes it seemed like the three of them had linked minds. Ron and Hermione would turn up at the oddest times and in the strangest places right when Harry needed them.

"Morning," said Harry to Ron and Hermione.

Ron grinned.

Hermione smiled. "Good morning, Harry," said Hermione. "Where's Ginny?"

Harry shrugged. "She likes to lay-in," said Harry.

"Let's head-off to breakfast then," said Ron. "I'm starving. I could eat an obese-sized hippogriff."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "What else is new?" she said.

The three Gryffindors made their way to The Great Hall in bright spirits. They ate their breakfast jovially. Mid-way through breakfast Hermione proposed a quick meeting in the Room-of-Requirement. Hermione insisted that the three of them needed to review the spells that would be introduced next week to the rest of the covert group named Dumbledore's Army. Dumbledore's Army was Harry, Hermione and Ron's idea.

Harry was in-charge of the group. He was the one who typically led each meeting. The group was an invitation-only meeting that met at odd times throughout the week. They practiced and perfected offensive and defensive spells that weren't taught to the students.

Everyone in Dumbledore's Army knew that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had risen. They knew that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was making his move.

They knew that they needed to get stronger physically and magically. They needed to be warriors, soldiers and leaders to the rest of Hogwarts.

When breakfast was over Harry, Ron and Hermione walked along the corridors of Hogwarts. They took a circuitous route to The Room of Requirement just in case someone overheard them and decided to follow the three Gryffindors.

After sometime they reached the entrance to the Room of Requirement.

"It's my turn to open it," said Ron with a grin. The three of them enjoyed walking back-and-forth along the blank spot of stonewall that changed into the door for The Room of Requirement.

"Oh, all right, fine," said Hermione. She rolled her eyes. "Just make it quick."

"Right-o," said Ron.

Moments later, the door to The Room of Requirement appeared.

"Ready?" asked Harry.

Hermione and Ron nodded.

Harry moved to open the door. He paused right before he turned the nob.

"What is it?" asked Hermione.

"It's funny," said Harry. "I just get this feeling that the best thing to do right now would be to turn around and head back to bed."

"Really?" said Hermione.

Harry glanced at Hermione; then, at Ron.

"Weird," said Ron. He shrugged.

"Yeah," said Harry. He made to turn the doorknob. "Weird."

Harry opened the Door and walked through.


	2. Chapter 1

Double

Hi, guys. Thanks for the reviews. Keep 'em coming.

I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

-appletart55

* * *

Chapter One

Harry walked through the Door. Ron and Hermione walked in after him.

The inside of The Room of Requirement was a huge mausoleum of old objects. It was filled with thousands of different types of things. There were books, old chess pieces, broken broomsticks and a pile of exotic rugs.

Harry looked around.

"Ron, is this what you wanted?" asked Harry.

Ron shook his head. "No," said Ron. "I wanted our old training room as usual."

"This is an odd place," said Hermione. "It looks like a place where Hogwarts keeps all the lost, random objects that students have forgotten. Something must have gone wrong. Let's leave and come back through again."

"All right," said Harry.

The three exited the Room of Requirement. Harry decided to be the one to walk back-and-forth in front of the blank stretch of wall this time. He closed his eyes and pictured the training room of Dumbledore's Army.

Once Harry walked past the wall the third time he stopped.

The wall did not change. It remained the same blank stone wall.

"What's going on?" asked Hermione.

"I don't know," said Harry. "I'm sure I did it right."

"It's your turn to try now, Hermione," said Ron. "Maybe it just needs a woman's touch."

Hermione nodded. She did the same thing as Harry and Ron.

The Door did not appear.

Harry, Ron and Hermione were stumped.

"What should we do now?" asked Hermione.

Harry thought. "Let's head back to the Great Hall," he said. "Everyone in Dumbledore's Army is probably at breakfast. We need to talk to the others in Dumbledore's Army. Without The Room of Requirement we have no where to practice."

Ron and Hermione agreed. They three left for The Great Hall.

* * *

Harry, Ron and Hermione entered the Great Hall. Harry realized something was wrong as soon as he entered.

There was a strange man sitting in a chair upon the dais where the professors sat.

It was Sirius.

"What the…" said Ron.

"Oh my word," said Hermione.

"Bloody hell," said Harry.

* * *

Harry, Ron and Hermione ran outside to a small group of trees by the Lake. They stopped when they reached the water's edge. The three were out-of-breath.

Ron spoke up first. "What the hell?" he asked.

"That was Sirius sitting up there. What's he doing here? He's supposed to be in hiding," said Hermione.

"Yes," said Ron. "And what was wrong with the Great Hall? The hangings weren't right. They were all red and black."

"Dumbledore wasn't there either," said Harry again in a low voice.

"I feel like something's wrong," said Hermione.

"yea, me, too," said Ron. "Harry?"

"Yeah," agreed Harry. "I feel like the sun went into hiding… like I'm walking around backward."

"What should we do?" asked Hermione.

Harry thought. "Let's go to Hagrid's hut," said Harry. "We can ask him. He'll know why Sirius is here."

"Good idea," said Ron. "And maybe he'll let us have a spot of something strong."

* * *

Hagrid was in his Hut. Hagrid looked surprised to see Harry, Ron and Hermione.

" 'ello there," said Hagrid gruffly. "Wha' do you three want?"

Harry, Ron and Hermione never heard Hagrid speak to them in such a hostile way.

"Hagrid, we need to talk," said Hermione.

"Abou' what?" asked Hagrid nervously.

Hermione frowned. She glanced at Harry and Ron. "Well," said Hermione. "What is Sirius doing in the Great Hall?"

Hagrid stared. "Wha' do you mean? Headmaster Black's always in 'er Great Hall for breakfast."

"Ha ha," said Harry. "Headmaster Black? That's a laugh. But what's he doing here? He's should be in hiding, Hagrid."

Hagrid scowled. "'Don' know what yer talking about, Potter," said Hagrid.

"All right… how about this," said Harry. "Where's Dumbledore? Where's Umbridge?"

Hagrid looked confused. "Look… I 'don know what yer three are tryin' ta do…" he said. " 'm doin' my work as usual… not tryin' to get intr' any trouble…"

"Just answer the question, Hagrid," insisted Hermione.

" 'Er… Madame Umbridge is pro'ly where she always is…" said Hagrid finally. "She's pro'ly at the Ministry of Magic. The Prophet last said that ther' British Magical troops are gettin' together for another battle in Russia. She's pro'ly doin' somethin' smart like planin' strategy or somethin'."

Harry, Ron and Hermione were stumped.

"…okay," said Harry slowly. "Right."

"Well, where's Dumbledore?" asked Ron.

Hagrid gave the three of them a confused look. "Professor Dumbledore? Don' know how you know about him. He's wher' he always is… in his burial plot behind the castle."

Harry ran a hand through his hair. "I guess I was right after all," he said. "I should have stayed in bed today."

* * *

"An alternate dimension?" said Ron. "What are you talking about?"

"I think we entered another world similar to our own," said Hermione. "I've seen it on Doctor Who."

"Who?" said Ron.

"Precisely."

"I'm lost," said Ron.

"Never mind," said Harry. "Listen… let's _say _we're in an alternate dimension… how did we get here?"

"Who knows?" said Hermione. "We could have stumbled our way through… we could have accidentally touched an inter-dimensional portkey… our someone could have called for us."

"I like the portkey theory," said Ron. "That way we can find it again and make our way home."

"Me, too," said Harry. He sighed. "Okay, let's say we're in an alternate dimension… what do we do now?"

"Well, two things," said Ron. "We should do some reconnaissance."

"I agree," added Hermione.

"What's the second thing?" asked Harry.

"We should avoid our other selves," said Ron.

"Why?" asked Hermione.

"Well," said Ron. "For one thing… it's a sure-fire way for us to get twinning headaches."

* * *

Harry, Ron and Hermione decided to head to the library. They tried to avoid the other students. They walked with their head down.

Harry, Ron and Hermione made their way to the 'European Magical History' section of the library. Hermione immediately began scanning the book titles. She pulled a few books off of the bookshelves and then placed them on a nearby table.

Harry and Ron looked on with amused looks on their faces.

After thirty-five minutes Hermione raised her head with a grim look on her face. She ushered Harry and Ron closer.

"So?" said Ron quietly.

"I was right," said Hermione. "We're in an alternate universe."

"Bloody hell," said Ron.

"How is this world different from ours?" said Harry.

"Two things: first off, Dumbledore is dead," said Hermione. "He died during the First War in 1945. He died killing the 'Mad-King Grindelwald.'"

"Huh," said Harry.

"Damn," said Ron. "Dumbledore's dead? That's not good. We could have used his help to get home."

"So, what's the second thing?" asked Harry.

"The Second War is still going on to this day. This world's Harry Potter never stopped You-Know-Who. You-Know-Who is still out there. The whole wizarding world is fighting him."

The three were silent.

"Okay," said Harry finally. "We have enough information for now. Dumbledore is dead… that's a real blow. We'll have to figure this out on our own."

"We should get out of here," said Ron. "We should try to avoid our counterparts. We need money so we can buy some place to stay… we need a home base of some kind."

"Then what?" asked Hermione.

"We need to figure out how to get home," said Harry grimly.

* * *

Harry, Hermione and Ron decided to best way to get home was to slip into McGonagall's office to use Floo Powder. The three of them knew that the professor's fireplaces could connect to places outside of Hogwarts.

The three made their way to her office. They had to pass by the Great Hall to get there. A huge crowd was exiting the Great Hall as the three of them passed by. The students were talked, laughed and joked around.

"Hey, Harry," said a familiar voice.

Harry jumped. _Oh, no,_ thought Harry.

It was a Ravenclaw student named Terry Boot. Well… he was a Ravenclaw student in Harry's world. Here in this strange, new world Terry Boot did not wear a tie of blue and bronze. His robes were simple black robes.

"Hi, Terry," said Harry cautiously.

_I hope your name is still Terry Boot here_, thought Harry.

"Shouldn't you be out on the pitch?" he asked. "The match will start soon."

"Right, yeah," said Harry vaguely. "The pitch… I was heading there now."

"Okay, well, good luck today, Harry," said Boot.

Harry nodded.

Once Boot left Harry glanced at Ron and Hermione.

"No- no! Absolutely not," said Hermione.

"What?" asked Ron.

"Harry wants to check out his counterpart," said Hermione. "He wants to see how good he is at Quidditch."

"No," lied Harry "We need to do reconnaissance. I need to figure him out."

Ron laughed.

"Harry, we can't go," said Hermione. "What if other people recognize us? Then, they'll know there are _two_ Harry Potters there."

"C'mon, what could go wrong?" said Harry. He grinned. "And we can see if _your _counterparts are there, too."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I don't care," she said.

"Aren't you a little curious?" asked Harry.

"Not in the least," said Hermione. She sniffed. "Okay. We'll go."

"I'm game," added Ron.

"Great," said Harry. "After all… it seems like a good afternoon for Quidditch."


	3. Chapter 2

Double

I'm looking for a beta to read through my writing before I post it. I want someone who can edit grammar mistakes and also someone who can give me their ideas and input. Leave me a message if you're interested.

I hope you enjoy this chapter.

-appletart55

* * *

Chapter Two

Harry, Ron and Hermione walked to the Quidditch Pitch. They sat in what was the Gryffindor section of the Quidditch bleachers. The students were dressed in maroon and gold robes. They chatted happily.

Harry, Ron and Hermione didn't speak to anyone. They tried to keep to themselves.

There were two teams flying in the air. It was the Ravenclaw team against the Gryffindor team.

The Quidditch match began a few minutes later. The referee blew his whistle and the players rose from the ground straight-up into the sky.

Harry scanned the different members of the opposing teams. He was trying to find someone that looked similar to himself.

"There," said Ron after a while. "He's the lead chaser on the Gryffindor side. He even has the same glasses like you."

Harry searched the skies. He found him.

It was true. The chaser had dark brown hair, glasses and a serious expression. His face was stockier than Harry's face.

He still looked like Harry though.

"I don't see a scar," noted Harry.

"He didn't stop You-Know-Who in this world," said Hermione quietly.

"Right," said Harry.

The Hufflepuff team played superbly. They passed the ball to one another in fluid motions. The Hufflepuff team members acted in perfect sync with each other.

When the score was 150-50 (with Hufflepuff leading) Harry noticed something. Harry's counterpart was high-up in the air. His broom shook wildly. His counterpart bucked left-and-right. It was like the broom wanted to throw him off.

"Harry, do you see what's going on?" asked Hermione.

"It's a jinx," said Ron. "It's like what happened to Harry in his first Quidditch match."

"Damn," said Harry. "You're right. Come on... wands out. We need to help him."

Harry, Ron and Hermione chanted a counter-curse under each of their breaths. The other-Harry's broom shook less, but it still moved wildly in the air.

Suddenly, Harry, Ron and Hermione felt something. A strong force gripped them. The three Gryffindors let out a gigantic breath-of-air. They couldn't say the counter-curse anymore.

In the few seconds that the force affected them the other-Harry's broom began to shake harder.

"Whoa, what was that?" asked Ron.

"I don't know," said Harry.

"If we don't do something the other-Harry is going to fall off of his broom," said Hermione.

"He might not have as much good luck as you do," added Ron.

"Come on," said Harry. "I see him."

Harry rushed away. Ron and Hermione went after him.

"Who did he see?" asked Ron.

"I think he saw the person who is doing this," said Hermione.

"What's he going to do?" said Ron.

"Fire," called back Harry from up-ahead.

* * *

The Quidditch match ended swiftly. The students gathered in the Great Hall. They whispered to one another urgently.

"What happened to Harry?" someone asked.

"He could have died," continued another person.

Harry, Ron and Hermione stood in the corner of the room. They listened silently.

"Who's robes did you set on fire?" asked Harry after some time.

"I did it to Vector," said Hermione softly.

"I did it to Slughorn," answered Ron.

"What about you, Harry?" asked Hermione.

"I did it to Snape," said Harry.

"Which one do you think did it?" asked Hermione.

"Who knows?" said Harry. "We could have done something unexpected that may have tripped up the person who did it, too... like last time."

"Great," said Ron. "Someone wants to kill Harry Potter."

Harry rolled his eyes. "What else is new?"


	4. Chapter 3

Double

Thank you to me new beta, Darth Marrs.

I hope you enjoy this chapter.

-appletart55

* * *

Chapter Three

Harry, Ron and Hermione left the Great Hall before anyone noticed them. They made their way to McGonagall's office.

Luckily, McGonagall was no where to be seen. It only took a few minutes for the three Gryffindors to use the floo.

They headed to the Leaky Cauldron.

* * *

"Hi," said Harry. "You're Tom, right?"

" 'Ay, that's me," said the Leaky Cauldron barman. Harry knew Tom pretty well in his world ever since his lengthy stay at the Leaky Cauldron in his third year. He hoped Tom didn't know his counterpart and that he wouldn't ask too many questions. "Wa' do ya three need?"

"We need a room," said Harry.

Tom peered at the three of them. "Just one?" he asked.

"Yes," said Harry.

"All right," said Tom. "You can head on up if you're ready."

"One more thing," said Harry. "We can pay for our room at the end of our stay, right?"

"Sure," said Tom. "That's fine."

Harry grinned. "Great."

* * *

Harry, Ron and Hermione fell asleep as soon as they found their room. The next day, the three trooped downstairs to the dining area.

"Will ya three be havin' breakfast here?" asked Tom.

"Yes, we will," said Harry.

"Do you serve muggle food here, sir?" asked Hermione.

Tom scratched his head. "Er—not really. We typically stick to wizard-fare."

"Darn," said Hermione. "I wanted to order a Full English breakfast."

"We will have whatever you usually serve," said Harry.

"How 'bout porridge, rashers and orange juice?" asked Tom.

"That's fine," said Harry.

Tom left to get their meals.

"Harry, how are we going to pay for this?" asked Hermione softly.

"Don't worry," said Harry. "I have a plan."

* * *

Harry, Ron and Hermione left The Leaky Cauldron. But, they didn't go to Diagon Alley. They walked into Muggle London instead.

"Er—Hello," said Harry to a stranger. The man was tall. He wore a suit. It looked like he was heading to a business meeting in Muggle London.

"What do you want?" asked the business man snidely.

"I think you dropped something," said Harry.

The man stopped. He turned around to look behind him.

Harry pulled out his wand. He did a quick Confundus charm.

"Who—who are you?" asked the man. His eyes were hazy.

"Sir, I think you picked up my wallet by accident," said Harry.

"What?" asked the man.

"Check your back pocket."

The man did so. He pulled out his wallet and looked at it dumbly.

"See, that's my wallet," said Harry. "It has my initials inscribed right there. It says, 'GF' for George Foreman."

"Oh, right," said the business man. "My mistake. Here."

"Thank you," said Harry brightly. "Now you better head off to work. You're late."

"Too true, too true," said the man. He walked off at a brisk pace.

Ron and Hermione looked at Harry with bemused looks on his and her face.

"What was that, Harry?" asked Hermione.

Harry grinned. "Oh, nothing," said Harry. "It's something that I've wanted to try for a long time."

* * *

After doing Harry's little trick to a few strangers (mostly business men) for around an hour the three headed back into wizard London. They went to Gringotts and exchanged their muggle money for galleons, sickles and knuts.

"We have their credit cards, too," said Harry.

Ron looked on thoughtfully. "Okay, Hermione explained credit cards to me. They're essentially free money, right?"

"Yes," said Harry.

"Then we better use them now. What if those people go home and realize their wallets are missing? Won't they do something? Won't they call the muggle authorities or something?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, they might do something like that. But, what they will most likely do is to call their banks to cancel the credit cards. Then, the credit cards will be useless pieces of plastic to us."

"We should use them now before anyone notices anything," said Ron.

"I would usually object to that," said Hermione slowly. "We're stealing these people's livelihood. But, seeing as we're in a strange, alternate dimension—"

"—And we're broke," added Ron.

"—Yes, and we're broke," continued Hermione unfazed. "Well, considering that… we might have to act in a more mercenary manner."

"I'm game," said Ron without hesitation.

Harry shrugged. "Yeah, all right," said Harry. "But, we'll have to buy things in Muggle London. The wizarding world doesn't do credit cards."

"That's fine," said Hermione. "We need clothes… even if they're muggle clothes and not wizarding robes. We may need extra little things, too… like books, snacks, water, and all of our own bookbags to put all our stuff in…"

Hermione trailed off.

"You write up a list of things we need, Hermione," said Ron lazily. "Then, let's go shop in Muggle London."

* * *

Harry, Ron and Hermione arrived to their room at the Leaky Cauldron hours later. They were tired and pleased at their full day of shopping.

"You know I've always wanted to do this," said Ron. He laid on the bed with his head propped up against a pillow.

"Do what?" asked Hermione.

"I've always wanted to shop in Muggle London," he said. "I've never been to a Muggle store before today if you can believe it."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh, I believe it, Ron," she said. "Remember this… 'What's that? What's that? What's that, Hermione, What's that Harry?'"

"What?" said Ron defensively. "I've never seen one of those… cockroach thingies before."

"It was a coke machine," said Hermione.

"Yeah, and you can fill your cup with endless coke if the store clerk doesn't notice," said Ron brightly. "And I liked the Chinese food."

"We know," said Harry with a grin. "We noticed."

* * *

Hermione lounged leisurely on the bed at The Leaky Cauldron that evening. She read a history book about the current events in the muggle world that the three of them bought with one of the stolen credit cards that they used.

"So, what does it say?" asked Ron.

"Well, this world is very different from ours… even the muggle world. The muggle world is at war just like the wizarding world. In fact, the descendant of Winston Churchill is the current Prime Minister. His name is August Churchill."

"Anything else?" asked Harry. He was snacking on a bag of crisps.

"The wizarding world is still unknown to muggles. However, there were a series of terrorist acts that the British government is concerned about… they don't know who perpetrated the acts."

"What type of terrorist acts?" asked Ron thoughtfully.

"Well, there were a few bombings over the years. Someone bombed the American Embassy and the United Nations building in London. Also, there were small terrorist acts here-and-there… car bombings and the like. It looked like whoever did those acts wanted to kill important British government officials."

"What if those terrorist acts are connected to the war against You-Know-Who in our world—this world—oh, whatever," said Ron.

Hermione nodded. "Yes, that's what I think, too."

"All right, all right," said Harry. "This is what we know—we know that the wizarding world and the muggle world are at war. We think that the wizarding war affects the muggle world's war, too."

"That's the long and short of it," said Hermione.

"Okay. What about Harry Potter? Why is someone trying to kill him?"

"Well, other than the fact that he's _Harry Potter_…" said Ron. Harry threw a pillow at him. "Oh, come on… you know it's true. Anyway, other than that maybe there's a prophecy about him somewhere. Maybe he is _still_ destined to stop You-Know-Who. He just hasn't done it yet."

"Okay, that's a good point," said Hermione. "So, obviously we know our next step."

"What's that?" said Harry.

"We need to go to Flourish and Blotts to buy more books to do research."

Harry rolled his eyes. "I have a better idea," he said confidently.

* * *

"Hi, there, Tom," said Harry. Harry took a seat at the bar. Hermione and Ron sat next to him.

" 'ello, Mr. Foreman," said Tom. "Will you be eatin' here tonight?"

"Well, we were actually wondering if we could ask you some questions," said Harry. "My associates, Peony Patil, Dean Thomas and I are from America. We have a few things to ask you about what's going on in the wizarding world."

"You three don't have American accents," said Tom. He frowned.

"We're expatriates. We've come back for the hols," said Hermione brightly.

"All right," said Tom. "Wha' do ya wanna know?"

"How is the war going?" said Harry. "Are there any new developments?"

Tom shrugged. "Well," he said. "Our boys are still over ther' in the U.S.S.R. You see a lotta lil' old ladies runnin' around askin' for donations so that they can send our boys new shoes and blankets and othe' things."

"So, is that where they think… You-Know-Who is?" asked Hermione.

"Aye," said Tom. "They think he's holed up in his fortress called The Black Spier. There are soldiers and Inferi borderin' his territory. The Inferi are the things that are really causin' problems for our soldiers… it's hard to kill 'em without fire. Fire is a difficult thing to conjure for even the most experienced wizard."

"I see," said Hermione.

"I have another question," said Ron. "Do you know anything about… a boy named Harry Potter? He may have a tragic history… many people may think he is special."

Tom frowned. "Well, I don't know about 'arry Potter, but I do know James and Lily Potter."

Harry started to cough. Ron hit his back a few times with a firm hand.

"Sorry about that," said Harry. "I've got a bit of a cold."

Tom nodded.

"So, James and Lily Potter are still…." said Hermione. She stopped herself from going on.

"Do you know where we can find James and Lily Potter?" asked Harry.

"Well, they 'av a family manor in Wales," said Tom. "Other than 'at I don' know."

"Er—how about a family named Weasley'?" said Ron. "They might have a lot of red-headed children… they might even have red-hair like me."

Tom frowned. "Sure. I know 'em. Really good people, those Weasley's. They have good stock… they got mostly boys. A few of the older ones are fightin'," said Tom.

"I see," said Harry. He tried to smile. "Thanks, Tom. That was a lot of information. We're glad for the help."

"No problem," said Tom. "Anyway, how long do you three plan on stayin' with us? I never did get a chance to ask you yesterday."

"Oh, not too long," said Harry. He grinned. "We have a lot of work to do."


	5. Chapter 4

Double

I hope you like this chapter. It may take a few days for each new chapter to be posted. I'll post them up as soon as I have them.

Thank you to my beta, Darth Marrs for editing this. Leave me a review if you like what you read.

-appletart55

* * *

Chapter Four

Harry, Ron and Hermione stood on a long stretch of land in the English countryside. The sky was a clear blue. The country air smelled fresh and invigorating.

On the other end of the wide moor was a beautiful mansion. There were two floors, wide windows and a black gate. There was an extensive garden that they could see from where they stood.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" asked Hermione to Harry and Ron quietly.

Harry walked forward with long strides. He brushed a strand of his new blond hair from his face. Harry wore a pair of contacts that changed his eye-color from a bright green to a dull brown. He also wore a set of new, pure-blood clothes. He wore a dark green robe with fine black embroidery around the collar.

Hermione wore a set of beautiful taffeta robes that she felt highly inclined to buy. She looked like a pure-blood princess with her hair brushed back with a strong amount of Sleekeazy hair potion. She wore contacts that made her eye-color change from a soft brown to a bright blue.

Ron wore a set of maroon robes with golden trim. He looked stately in his robes. He wore contacts that changed his eye-color from hazel to dark green.

All three wore wigs. Harry's hair was blond. Hermione's hair was black. Ron's hair was dark brown. That wasn't all. Harry, Ron and Hermione decided to invest in a set of 'Hide-Away Magical Masks' from the joke shop, Zonko's. The masks changed each person's face so that anyone who saw them would remember nothing more than a plain, average person who was essentially nondescript and entirely forgettable.

"Harry's dead-set on this," said Ron finally. "He's dead-set on it no matter how stupid this may be."

"What?" said Harry. "Is this any stupider than going to that Quidditch game?"

"Yes," said Hermione. "We didn't talk to _the other you_ at the Quidditch game."

"Well, we won't talk to the other me here either," said Harry. "We'll speak to my _other_ parents. You know… the live set."

Hermione sighed.

"I want to speak to my parents at least once before we leave here," said Harry finally. "We also need more information. We need to know the strongest and the most talented witch or wizard in this world since Dumbledore is dead. That person may be able to help us to get home. The Potters—well, at least my Dad—"

"—_This _world's James Potter—" said Ron. "He's not really your Dad, Harry."

"Right," said Harry. "_This_ world's James Potter is rich, well-connected and a pure-blood wizard. He should know people."

Hermione seemed to calm down. "Okay," she agreed. "We _do_ need more information. They might even have another Order of the Phoenix here. They'll definitely have good intel."

Ron nodded. "Okay, we're in agreement," said Ron. "We're going to do this incredibly stupid thing and hope that your parents are incredibly stupid to give us free information."

"Hey!" said Harry.

Hermione laughed.

Ron grinned and shrugged.

* * *

The three reached the front gate of the Potter mansion in minutes. There was an electronic buzzer there that allowed the mansion's guests to introduce themselves before they were allowed in.

"I thought they only had these in muggle homes," said Hermione thoughtfully.

"No, these are magical ones," said Ron simply.

"Oh," said Hermione.

Ron and Hermione looked at Harry. Harry took a deep breath.

He pressed the buzzer.

"Hello?" said someone on the other end. "Who is it?"

"Er—my name is George Foreman," said Harry. "I'm here with my associates, Ms. Peony Patil and Mr. Dean Thomas. We would like to speak to the owner of the house."

"I see," said the person on the other end. "Well, Mr. Potter isn't here. I'm afraid I don't allow strangers into my home."

"Well, we're here about collecting donations," said Hermione hurriedly. "We're collecting for the war effort."

"Oh," said the voice. "I still don't think…"

"Please, we would really appreciate it if you let us speak to you," said Harry.

"We came a long way," finished Ron. "We're also incredibly thirsty."

"All right," said the person. "Since it's for the war effort…"

The front of the house buzzed and the gate opened.

"Come on," said Harry. He walked forward and the two followed him.

Harry, Ron and Hermione reached the front door of the Potter mansion. Harry fidgeted. He cleared his throat.

Ron and Hermione pretended not to notice his unease.

Finally, there was nothing else for it. "Harry, just knock on the door," said Hermione.

Harry did so.

The person who opened the door was Lily Potter.

Harry mentally prepared himself to see this world's version of his mother… but he was still shocked to see her there. She was alive and well here.

She was also very beautiful.

Lily Potter had luminous pale skin and long, red hair. It was pulled back neatly with a hair clip. She wore muggle clothing. She had on tan slacks, a pristine white top and gold jewelry. Harry noticed her wedding ring. It was a sparkling, solitaire diamond with a gold band. It looked tasteful and elegant on her slim hands.

"Hello," said Lily Potter. "Please come in."

Harry stopped short when he entered the foyer.

The inside of the mansion was beautiful. There were cream colored walls. There was a long, elegant staircase in the front of the hall. There was also a grand chandelier hanging from high up above. It glimmered brightly in the light.

Harry, Ron and Hermione followed Lily into the foyer and, then, into the sitting room.

Lily Potter sat down on a plush, white couch in the middle of the room. Harry, Ron and Hermione sat down across from her. The decorations in the sitting room were grand and tasteful. There were three large paintings on the wall. One painting was a picture of a family. Another painting was a picture of a small cottage by the shore. The final painting was of a dark brown mare with fiery wings.

There were magical photos of the family on the mantle and on a few of the side tables, too.

Lily Potter looked fine and stately in her surroundings.

"Which one of you is Mr. Foreman?" asked Lily.

No one spoke. Ron jerked Harry with his elbow.

"That's me," said Harry.

"That's an interesting name," said Lily."I know a George Foreman... in the muggle world."

"That's not me," said Harry with a false laugh. He continued. "The person to my left is Peony Patil... and the person to the other side of me is Dean Thomas."

Lily looked at Ron. "That's funny... There's also a Dean Thomas in the same year as my second son, Harry."

_Damn, _thought Harry. "Your second son? How many children do you have?" asked Harry. He hoped to distract her from their mistake.

Lily smiled politely. She pointed at the painting above her mantle. It was a picture of Lily, three children and a man who was most likely James Potter.

"I have three kids," said Lily. "My eldest son is in his seventh-year at Hogwarts. His name is Carl. My second son is a fifth-year at Hogwarts. His name is Harry."

"Then there's me," said the voice of a stranger. A little girl entered the room. Her red-hair was tied together with a red, silk ribbon. She wore a wide smile. The little girl walked up to Harry, Ron and Hermione. She stuck out her hand.

"Hi," the little girl said. "My name is Posie."

Harry grinned."It's nice to meet you," he said.

"Who are you?" asked Posie. "We usually don't let strangers in our house… Right, Mum?"

Lily nodded. "We usually don't," said Lily. "But they're collecting for our soldiers in the U.S.S.R. I decided to take the risk."

"Oh," said Posie. "Okay."

Posie took a seat next to her mother. The little girl wore muggle clothes like Lily. She wore a pair of worn jeans and a maroon top with flowers embroidered on it.

"So, what infantry are you collecting donations for?" asked Lily.

The three were silent.

"We're collecting for the 35th infantry," said Ron after a minute.

Lily frowned. "I see. I know some people in the 35th infantry. I haven't heard anything about a collection for our boys there."

"The decision to collect for the 35th happened out of no where," said Ron. "We were told to do it because we have family in the 35th."

"I see," said Lily. "Perhaps I know them. Who are they?"

Ron frowned. "They're—they're a family named Weasley. I'm a distant relative of there's."

Lily seemed to relax. She smiled. "Oh, yes, the Weasley's. I'm very close to Fabian and Gideon. I also know the twins' sister, Molly. She was a year or two younger than me at Hogwarts. They're a lovely family."

Ron puffed up his chest. "Yes, they are," he said.

"By the way… how is your husband?" asked Harry. "We're sorry we missed him."

Lily gave a strained smile. "Yes, he's at work," she said. "He works for the Ministry. He's an Auror."

"I see," said Harry. "Does being an Auror run in the family?"

"Yes, it does," said Lily. "James' father and grandfather were both Aurors. Anyway, I should have asked this earlier, but my thoughts escaped me. Would you three like water or tea? One of you mentioned you were thirsty back at the gate."

Harry realized that his throat felt parched. "Yes, that would be nice," said Harry.

Lily stood up. "I'll be right back," she said. "Come on with me, Posie. You can help me out."

Posie nodded. The two left for the kitchen.

"She seems really nice," said Harry with a relieved sigh.

Ron frowned. "Yes, she does," he said. "But does she seem a bit…"

"What?" asked Harry defensively.

"She seems nervous, Harry," said Hermione. "She doesn't seem to want to talk to us."

"She's probably a bit preoccupied," concluded Harry. "There's a war going on… and we're three strangers. You heard her. She doesn't like strangers in the house. And she has her daughter with her."

"Yes, that's true," said Ron. "I still think we should go. She suspects something… We don't have a lot of information about exceptional wizards or witches either. It's better if we try somewhere else."

Harry scowled. "No," he said firmly. "I want to stay and talk to her a bit more."

"Harry, I agree with Ron," said Hermione softly. "How long should the 'Hide-Away Magical Masks' last anyway?"

"The package said it should last for three hours," said Ron. "If we include the time it took to get from magical London to Wales… and the amount of time it took us to find the Potter mansion…"

"We've worn the Masks for around three hours now," said Hermione faintly. "We _need_ to go."

Harry nodded. "All right… even I know that makes sense," said Harry.

Harry stood up to go. Hermione and Ron followed. The three started toward the hallway to the front door.

"Stop!" said a familiar voice. The three turned around.

It was Lily. She stood tall and was in a fighting stance. She brandished her wand. Posie was hiding behind her… but, she had her wand out, too.

"Is something wrong?" asked Hermione.

"We felt it was time to go," said Harry.

"We've over-stayed our welcome," concluded Ron.

"You're not leaving," said Lily in a firm voice. "I don't know who you are… But, I do know interrogation tactics when I hear them. Who are you three?"

Harry sighed helplessly. Ron frowned. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"We're no one," said Harry. "We're strangers passing by… that's all. Please, let us go."

"Or what?" asked Lily.

Harry glanced at Ron; then, he looked at Hermione. Harry nodded.

The three brandished their wands from their wand holsters and took a similar fighting stance.

"We don't want anyone to get hurt," said Ron. "Put down your wand, Lily."

"We promise... we're not trying to hurt you," said Hermione.

"It's best if you let us go," finished Harry.

"You're right… we don't want anyone to get hurt," said another person's voice.

Harry, Ron and Hermione looked up at the top of the staircase to the foyer. James Potter was standing there.

_He really does look like me,_ thought Harry.

That was the last thing on his mind before everything turned to midnight.


	6. Chapter 5

Double

Thanks to my beta, Darth Marrs, for his help on this chapter.

-appletart55

* * *

Chapter Five

Harry had a headache. He opened his eyes slowly. The light in the room was bright.

The first thing Harry did was search for his wand. He couldn't find it.

_Damn_, thought Harry.

He was comforted to see Ron and Hermione still there with him though.

Ron was on the bed next to him. "Ron, wake-up," said Harry quietly. Harry shook him.

Ron started to wake-up. "Ahh… my head," said Ron in a drowsy voice.

"They stunned us, Ron," said Harry. "We don't have our wands. They must have them."

Next, Harry turned to Hermione. Hermione sat on an old, dusk-pink chair.

Harry shook her gently.

"Harry?" said Hermione after a minute. She blinked slowly. "Where are we?"

"Guess," said Harry with a rueful laugh.

Harry pointed around at the room he was in. The wallpaper was faded. It was a pale green color. It looked like the edges of the wallpaper were peeled. The furniture in the room was old. Everything was dusty. It smelled of mold and disuse.

"Oh, no," said Hermione.

Ron laughed. "You've got to be kidding," said Ron.

Harry nodded. "We're at the Order Headquarters," said Harry. "We're at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place."

* * *

Harry, Ron and Hermione walked over to the door. Harry tried to open the door first.

"It's locked," said Harry.

"Damn," said Ron. "Now what will we do?"

Hermione smiled. "Well... I brought something with us when we started to plan our journey to Potter manor."

"What's that?" said Ron.

"I have a pair of Extendable Ears," said Hermione.

Ron laughed. He hugged Hermione and lifted her off the ground. "I'm so happy I could kiss you!" said Ron.

Harry coughed and glanced away.

Hermione blushed. "Th-thank you, Ron,"she said.

"You have a pair of Extendable Ears?" said Harry. "All right. Let's use them."

* * *

The three sat on the floor. Hermione pushed the Extendable Ears underneath the crack of the door.

They heard voices.

"Who are they? Goddamn it, we don't have a clue! Why did you bring them here? What were you thinking?" said a familiar voice.

"They are under Polyjuice Potion," said someone else. "That much is obvious. That's the only explanation for—"

"They can't be under Polyjuice Potion," said another person. His voice sounded harried and urgent. "After we took off those childish 'Hide-Away Magical Masks—'"

"Completely foolish!" said another person. "Any child can see past those masks."

"—We watched them for over an hour. They didn't turn into their original forms."

"I don't know _who_ they are," said one last person. "But they're powerful. The magic levels on all three of them were off-the-charts. The last boy... the one with the glasses... he was even more powerful than the other two."

"Shhh…" said a voice that sounded like Lily's. "I think they're awake."

Harry, Ron and Hemione jumped at the last thing they heard. The three stood up from their place on the ground and backed away from the door. Hermione quickly stuffed the Extendable Ears into her pocket.

The door opened.

A tall, handsome man with dark hair and a beard entered the room. He wore an earring and had a roguish look about him.

"Sirius," said Harry.

The man named Sirius Black in-this-world frowned. "Yes, that's my name," he said. "But, most people refer to me as Headmaster Black."

"Yes, we know," said Ron with a small chuckle.

Harry remembered seeing Sirius at the headmaster seat in the Great Hall when they first arrived in this world.

Hermione jerked her elbow into Ron's midsection.

"What Ron is trying to say is—"

"Ron, is it?" asked Sirius. Sirius stepped forward. He gave the three Gryffindors a critical eye. "We took off the 'Hide-Away Magical Masks.' We know that you didn't use Polyjuice Potion either. The effects of the Polyjuice Potion only last one hour. You were unconscious for around five hours."

Hermione sighed.

Ron rubbed the back of his neck.

Harry rolled his eyes. "We know about Polyjuice Potion," said Harry.

Sirius scowled. "I see. Well, all of this leads to one question: who are you three?"

"It's a long story," said Harry.

* * *

Harry, Ron and Hermione were in the kitchen. There were Order members there with them. There was James, Lily, Sirius, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Tonks, Mad-Eye Moody and, finally, Kingsley. They sat around the long kitchen table.

The Order members looked at Harry, Ron and Hermione like they were enemies. It made Harry feel uncomfortable. He was definitely in a different world.

"Excuse me?" said Lily. She looked angry. "_Who_ do you say you are?"

"My name is Harry Potter," said Harry again. "But, I'm not _your_ Harry Potter."

"What does that mean?" said a man's voice. It was _this world's_ James Potter. He had neatly cut hair and a pair of thin, wire-rimmed glasses. He was tall, lean and muscular. He was holding his wife, Lily's, hand.

"We're not from this world," said Hermione. She glanced at Harry. Then, she looked at Ron.

"We were at Hogwarts," said Ron. "We wanted to check-in the Room of Requirement to prepare for that day's meeting of Dumbledore's Army—"

"What?" said Lily. Her eyes flashed. "What in the world is Dumbledore's Army?"

James shook his head. "Dumbledore is dead," he said slowly.

"He's not dead in our world," said Hermione.

"Your world? You're still sticking to this story that you're from another world?" said James Potter.

"It's true," said Harry. "We _are_ from another world. And things are a lot different there."

"What do you mean?" asked Sirius. His voice was quiet.

"In our world Voldemort—"

"Don't say his name!" said Mrs. Weasley.

"Sorry," said Harry. "It's a bad habit."

"You-Know-Who was stopped in our world. Now, he's gathering his forces again. He wants to rise up like he did before," said Ron.

Ron smiled at Mrs. Weasley in a friendly way.

Mrs. Weasley did not look comforted. She frowned and glanced away.

"How did he die?" said Sirius quietly. "How was he stopped? Was it Dumbledore?"

"No," said Harry. "Dumbledore didn't do anything."

"Then who did?" asked Tonks. Her hair was a bright, magenta pink. It slowly changed from magenta to red.

"I did," said Harry. "I stopped Voldemort… on a dark Halloween night when I was one-years-old."

"No," said James Potter. He scowled. "That's _impossible_. You-Know-Who can not be stopped by a child... an infant! He has been in power for over fifty-years."

"He did and he was," said Harry firmly.

The Order members began to talk among themselves. They gave Harry careful, shrewd looks.

"All right, that's enough," said Mad-Eye Moody. "There is only one way to get the truth out."

"How's that?" said Harry.

However, he already knew the answer.

"We need to use Veritaserum," said Mad-Eye Moody. "We need to use the truth-telling potion."

Harry sighed. "That what I figured," he said.

* * *

Harry, Ron and Hermione were in the first room that they found themselves in when they first awoke at Order Headquarters.

"How did it go?" asked Harry. He was laying on the bed next to Ron. His head was propped-up on a pillow.

"It was fine," said Hermione. She sat on the antique armchair that she sat in before they were interrogated. "They were surprised when I told them that there were muggleborns at Hogwarts."

"Mum was surprised when I said I was a Weasley," said Ron. "She said she had a son that looked like me though. He died when he was eight-years-old in an air-raid at Diagon Alley."

"How about your other brothers? Are they alive?" asked Hermione.

"Bill, Charlie and the twins are alive," said Ron. "Percy died when he was a baby. There was a magical sickness that spread through England. Percy caught it and died before Mum and Dad could do anything."

"This world is so different," said Hermione quietly.

"Yeah," said Ron. "The Second War never ended. No one stopped Voldemort. He's still out there gaining power. Wizards and witches hate muggles and muggleborns. The Ministry of Magic doesn't allow muggleborns to attend Hogwarts either. They definitely don't allow wizards and witches to marry them."

"This is a world where Voldemort is still alive… a world where You-Know-who is still in power," said Hermione quietly. "What are we doing here?"

Harry sighed. "We need to help them to win," he finally said. "Then, we need to get the hell out of here."


	7. Chapter 6

Double

Thank you to my beta, Darth Marrs, for his help on this chapter.

-appletart55

* * *

Chapter Six

"So, let me get this straight…" said Sirius. He sat on a chair in the room Harry, Ron and Hermione shared. "You three started up your own company—"

"Well, a training group named Dumbledore's Army," said Hermione.

"—You started _Dumbledore's Army_ and trained students in defense magic?"

"Yes," said Harry. "We did."

"And you want to start up this group again for the students at Hogwarts?"

"Yes," said Ron. "We want to teach anyone who is willing."

"What's in it for you?" asked Sirius. He was smoking. He blew out a smoke ring that got bigger and bigger as it floated to the ceiling.

"Well, we want_ you _to teach us more advanced spells," said Ron.

"We want you _and_ the _other_ Order members to teach us more advanced spells," corrected Harry.

"We could use any knowledge that you can give us," finished Hermione.

"I see," said Sirius. He looked thoughtful. "All right. I'll make you a deal. If your company of Hogwarts students is capable enough… if they grow to be as advanced at defense as you suggest that they will be… Well, _then_ I'll teach you."

"Oh, don't worry… they'll be capable," said Ron with a smirk.

"We know a lot about fighting dark wizards," said Hermione casually.

"You could even say we're experts," said Harry with a laugh.

Sirius raised his eyebrow. "Right," he said.

* * *

Harry, Ron and Hermione shared a big room in Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. It was fairly clean. The sheets were washed and the curtains were pulled back so that the bright light from the outside filtered into the bedroom.

Hermione was reading a book on her bed.

Harry and Ron were playing chess on the bed that the two shared.

"Hermione, why are you reading that?" asked Ron.

"Well, you heard Sirius. We have to enroll at Hogwarts so that we can start up Dumbledore's Army again. I want to read up on more defensive spells before then."

"Why?" asked Ron. "We know a lot already."

"Yes, but we really need to impress Sirius when we teach the other students. If we impress him who knows what type of magic he can teach us. It's best to be prepared."

Harry sighed. He sat up. "Fine, fine. We'll help you as soon as we're done this chess game," said Harry.

Hermione perked up and smiled. "Great," said Hermione. "Three heads are better than one."

"Yeah," said Ron. "That's true for everything except three-headed guard dogs."

"That goes without saying," said Harry.

* * *

Harry, Ron and Hermione whispered to each other in their seats at the kitchen table.

Mrs. Weasley—the _other_ Mrs. Weasley—was staying with Harry, Ron and Hermione at the Order Headquarters to watch over the trio. Many different people entered the Order Headquarters throughout the day. They came in for meetings, for conversation and to take a look at the three dimension-travelers.

They also came in for a bite of Mrs. Weasley's delicious home-cooked meals.

"You ask her," said Harry to Ron.

Hermione nodded.

"Oh, all right," said Ron with a sigh. "Mu—I mean, Mrs. Weasley? Can I ask you something?"

Mrs. Weasley was taking something out of the oven. It was three Shepard's pies. The scent made Harry, Ron and Hermione's mouth water.

"Yes, sure, dear," said Mrs. Weasley.

Mrs. Weasley seemed nervous around the three of them. She was especially nervous around Ron.

Harry thought that it was because Ron looked like Mrs. Weasley's dead son.

"We wondered if you could tell us about the Potter family."

Mrs. Weasley glanced at Harry. "If you have questions about the Potters maybe you should ask Lily and James."

"We had a few simple questions," said Ron. "It's really nothing."

Mrs. Weasley nodded. "All right. I'll see if I can answer your questions," she said.

"Well, we heard that the second oldest Potter—the _other_ Harrry—is a Quidditch player," said Ron.

Mrs. Weasley looked relieved at his line of questioning. "Yes, I believe he is. He is a Chaser for the Gryffindor team. He is a Chaser like my son, Fred. Fred's twin brother, George, is he Gryffindor team's Keeper."

"I see," said Ron. Ron smiled. He seemed as interested in _this _world's Weasley family as Harry and Hermione were to their own counterparts. "That's great. Did he become a Chaser when he was young? Our Harry became a Seeker when he was a first-year. Did something like that happen to the Harry here?"

"No, I believe he became a Chaser in his third-year," said Mrs. Weasley.

"Well, is there anything else that makes Harry special?"

Mrs. Weasley frowned. "Well, there was an incident with a snake some time ago. It began when Harry was a first-year at Hogwarts. He was in Professor Sprout's Herbology class. There was a field class that day. The Herbology class was out by a meadow gathering some sort of berry or another that the students planned to use in their potions class later in the week. Harry was a little-ways adrift from the rest of the class. He found a small garden snake curled up in the sun. Harry almost stepped on the snake. As a result, the snake bit Harry. And it began to talk. In fact, I believe the snake called Harry a 'left-footed-flummoxed-fool.'"

Harry stood up straighter. "This world's Harry Potter is a Parselmouth?" asked Harry.

Mrs. Weasley nodded. "Yes," she said simply. "He even has a snake-familiar. The snake-familiar is a horned-serpent named Al."

"That's interesting," said Ron.

"Yes, it is very," said Mrs. Weasley. "Is that all you wanted to know?"

Ron nodded.

Hermione smiled.

Harry raised his eyebrow. "Yes, that's all," he said out-loud.

_For now,_ finished Harry in his mind.

* * *

The next few days flew by in a blur. Harry, Ron and Hermione went shopping to prepare themselves for Hogwarts. The three did not confide to the Order members about how the three of them managed to acquire money for the shopping expedition. They lied and said that they brought money with them from their world.

Instead, the Trio stole money from various muggles dressed as businessmen like they did the last time they were in London.

Soon enough it was the Trio's last day at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. Harry, Ron and Hermione's bags were packed. They prepared to say good-bye to Mrs. Weasley.

Ron approached Mrs. Weasley with a kind smile. "Thank you for everything," he said in a polite way.

"Yes, thank you," said Hermione.

"Your cooking was delicious," added Harry.

Mrs. Weasley smiled. "Thank you, my dears," she said. "Now, off with you. You need just a handful of Floo powder to make it to Hogwarts."

"We'll see you later," said Harry casually.

Then, the three were gone.

* * *

Harry wore a magical brown wig over his head. The wig was kept on by magic so he didn't have to fear anything when he did things like swim, duel or teach defense classes for the new Dumbledore's Army.

"I just had a thought," said Harry to Ron and Hermione.

"What?" asked Hermione.

"What should we call Dumbledore's Army?" asked Harry. "The students here don't know Dumbledore."

"Let's call it what it is," said Ron. "Let's call it The War Trials."

Harry nodded. "Nice one," he said.

Ron looked pleased.

* * *

Headmaster Black stood at the front of the Great Hall. Harry, Ron and Hermione were there, too.

Harry was the only one wearing a wig, blue contacts and other magical enhancements to hide who he was. Ron didn't need a disguise because his other-self died years ago when he was eight-years-old. Hermione didn't need a disguise because the other-her was a muggle. _This_ world didn't allow muggles to study at Hogwarts regardless of the student's natural acumen.

"Hello, everyone," said Sirius. "Before we start dinner I'd like to make an announcement. We have three special exchange students here that have come in from America. Their names are Max Kensington, Johnathan Wilson and Helena Harper."

Harry, Ron and Hermione smiled at the students who sat at their respective Hogwarts House tables. The Hogwarts students whispered among themselves.

"These three students will now try on the Sorting Hat to be Sorted into their Houses," said Sirius. "Now, let's begin. Ladies first, Ms. Harper. Please step forward and take a seat on the stool. Place the Sorting Hat on your head. The Sorting Hat will tell you what House you should be placed in."

Hermione did as she was instructed. She walked to the stool, sat down and calmly placed the Sorting Hat on her head.

The entire Great Hall waited impatiently for the Sorting Hat to make its decision. After fifteen minutes the students began to talk to one another.

"What's taking so long?" said someone.

"She's a Hat-Stall," said another nameless face.

"She looks live a Ravenclaw to me," said another stranger.

The minutes ticked on. Finally, the Sorting Hat made its decision.

"Ms. Helena Harper will be placed in…. Gryffindor!" said the Sorting Hat.

The Gryffindor table cheered enthusiastically. Harry and Ron glanced at each other with twin smiles on their faces.

"That's fine," said Sirius. "Mr. Johnathan Wilson…. You are next."

Ron started. It seemed like he almost forgot his new name.

Harry shoved him into moving. Ron tried his best to act casual as he walked to the stool that the Sorting Hat was sitting on.

Ron placed the Sorting Hat on his head. It only took a few seconds for the Sorting Hat to make his announcement.

"All right," said the Sorting Hat. "This is an easy one. This boy, Johnathan Wilson, belongs in… Gryffindor!"

Ron sighed in relief. Harry laughed.

_Like there was every any real doubt,_ thought Harry to himself.

"Finally, will Mr. Max Kensington please step forward and place the Sorting Hat on his head," said Sirius.

Harry did as he was instructed to do. He walked over to the stool where the Sorting Hat sat and placed the old, dirty Sorting Hat on his head.

"Well, well, well…" said the Sorting Hat. "You're another special case. _Max Kensington…_ That's a fine alias. But, you are a traveler from another world, aren't you?"

"Yes," thought Harry to the Sorting Hat. "I am."

"Your true name is… _Ah,_ _it is Harry Potter._ My, my… we have another one of him here as well."

Harry chuckled. "Yes. I've heard that."

"Well, this should prove to be an interesting year with you three here," said the Sorting Hat.

Harry shrugged. "Well, I aim to please," he said to the Sorting Hat on his head.

"Fine, fine," replied the Sorting Hat. "Well, we should get down to business as it were. Let me see… let me see…"

"Am I a difficult case?" asked Harry.

"Yes, you are…" said the Sorting Hat. "There's a lot of things in this head of yours. You have been through many trials... many troubles… many dangerous situations… Yet, you have succeeded in all the endeavors placed before you."

"The dragon was a bit annoying," said Harry casually. "And I thought that the mermaids would be prettier than they actually were. That was a bit of a let-down."

"Well, adventures aren't always what people expect them to be," said the Sorting Hat wisely.

"That's true," said Harry. "I should know. I've been in my fair share of them."

Harry could feel the Sorting Hat as he shifted through his thoughts. ""All right," said the Sorting Hat after a moment of silence. "I have come to my decision."

"Attention: Hogwarts students," proclaimed the Sorting Hat in a loud voice. "I have decided on where to place Mr. Kensington."

The students in the Great Hall sat up straighter at the Sorting Hat's announcement.

"Mr. Max Kensington would do well in Hufflepuff… he is loyal, smart and strong. He is a team-player through-and-through."

The Hufflepuff students who wore yellow and brown ties began to clap.

"However, he does not belong in Hufflepuff," said the Sorting Hat.

The Hufflepuff students began to mutter to each other.

"Mr. Max Kensington would do well in Ravenclaw… he is intelligent, curious and unorthodox. He sees the world in a different way than most people do... However, he does not belong in Ravenclaw."

"Damn it, we're hungry," said a familiar red-headed boy who sat at the Gryffindor House table. It looked like either Fred or George.

"All right, keep your shirt on," grumped the Sorting Hat. "Because it must be said that Mr. Max Kensington would do well in Slytherin. He is sly, clever and cunning. He owns all the traits of that House that would please even Salazar Slytherin himself."

"But does he belong in that House?" asked the other Weasley twin that looked to be either Fred or George.

"No, he does not belong in that House, Spawn-of-Weasley," said the Sorting Hat. "He belongs in…"

"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the Weasley twins together.

"That's the only House left," said one-to-the-other.

"I hope he looks good in maroon and red," said the other-to-the-one.

"Huh, Gryffindor," said Harry casually. He sat up, took the Sorting Hat off of his head and placed it back on the stool. "Who'd have figured?"


	8. Chapter 7

Double

Thanks to my beta, Darth Marrs, for his help on this chapter.

* * *

Chapter Seven

"Which bed do you want?" asked Ron.

"I'll get this one," said Harry.

Harry chose the bed closest to the window. Harry and Ron began to unpack both of their new clothes. The other Gryffindor boys were in the dormitory, too. They prepared for bed.

Harry decided to be the first one to approach them for introductions.

"Hi, I'm Max," said Harry. "This is my friend, Johnathan. But I guess you guys already know that."

"Yes, we heard Headmaster Black," said a plain-faced boy. He looked like this-world's Neville Longbottom. He was stockier and taller in this world though.

"What's your name?" asked Harry.

"My name's Neville Longbottom," said this world's Neville. "And these are my friends: Harry Potter, Seamus Finnigan, Terry Boot and Jake Wetherton."

Neville pointed to the other boys in the dormitory.

Harry smiled and nodded at the four boys. However, Harry took a special interest at his other self.

This-world's-Harry was taller and broader. He had short cropped hair. He still had the same green eyes as Lily Potter though.

"So, Harry," said Harry-as-Max. Harry tried his best not to crack-up at the fact that he was talking to his other-self from another universe. "I hear your father's an Auror."

This-world's-Harry looked surprised. "Yes, he is. Where did you hear that? Most people don't know about that. In fact, it's a secret."

Harry-as-Max frowned. _Lily didn't mention that,_ thought Harry.

"We know your family," provided Ron. "We know James and Lily."

"Oh," said this-world's-Harry. "Have you attended one of our huge Christmas parties during the hols or something?"

Harry-as-Max shrugged. _Yes! That's it! _"It's something like that," he said instead.

* * *

Harry yawned. He could hear his new classmates stirring.

"Are you awake, Max?" asked Ron-who-was-Johnathan.

"Yes, Johnathan, I'm up," said Harry.

The two dressed and went downstairs to the Gryffindor common room. Hermione-as-Helena was there.

"Ready for breakfast?" asked Hermione.

"Yes. Let's go," said Harry.

The Trio walked down to the Great Hall from the Gryffindor common room.

The three ate their breakfast at a leisurely pace. They ignored the whispers of their new classmates.

"Did you sleep well?" asked Hermione at breakfast.

"Yes, I slept like the dead," said Ron. He ate with his usual gusto.

"I slept like the dead," said Harry. "But the Gryffindor dormitories are my home—always were and always will be."

Hermione smiled. "I know what you mean," she said.

* * *

The rest of the day flew by quickly. The Trio had Defense, Transfiguration and Herbology. The classes were easy. The curriculum at _this _world's Hogwarts didn't seem as advanced at the curriculum in their world.

Harry asked Hermione why that might be the case at dinner.

"Well, it's fairly simple," said Hermione. "This world's education system might be at a standstill because everyone is focused on the War. People don't have time to update the curriculum to the newest educational discoveries. They don't have time to update the curriculum to the more advanced teaching methods either. This world is just different from ours."

"I see," said Harry thoughtfully.

Ron grinned between bites of his kidney-pie. "Well, Hermione sees anyway," said Ron conversationally.

Harry laughed.

Hermione hit Ron on the arm.

The three ate their dinner and headed to bed.

* * *

"Psst… Hermione, Ron," said Harry the next day. Harry was sitting at his usual seat on the pink couch that was in front of the fireplace. Ron sat next to him. Hermione was also on the couch. She was looking at some of her notes for class. "Let's try to go to the Room of Requirement again. We need to see if we can use the room like we did before for Dumbledore's Army... and we need to double-check to see whether or not we can return to our old world using it."

"All right," said Hermione.

"I'm game," said Ron.

Fifteen-minutes later the Trio stood in front of the blank stretch of wall that led to the Room of Requirement. Harry, Ron and Hermione took turns walking back-and-forth in front of the stone wall to try and open the door to their world.

Nothing happened.

"Great," said Ron. "We're stuck here. We can't use the Room of Requirement for The War Trials either."

"We'll have to ask someone if we can have a spare room somewhere in the castle," said Hermione.

Harry nodded. "Luckily, we have an 'in' with the headmaster," he said.

* * *

Sirius agreed to let Harry, Ron and Hermione use a practice room within the depths of Hogwarts. Sirius even conjured matts and training dummies for them. Next, it was time for the Trio to gather members for The War Trials.

"How will we convince them to be a part of this?" asked Hermione. "We can't let them know about all the dangerous things you've done. We can't tell them about serpent in the Chamber of Secrets, the werewolf we outran in our third-yeaer or the dragon you bested during the Triwizard Tournament."

"Those were all good endorsements," said Ron.

"I have an idea," said Harry.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "That doesn't sound good," she said.

"Oh, ye of little faith," said Harry with a laugh.

* * *

Harry, Ron and Hermione were in Greenhouse D for their Herbology class. The greenhouse was filled with plants like asphodel, nightshade and shrivelfig. It smelled earthy and fresh to the three Gryffindors.

When class began the Trio began their plan.

"What did you do to my Nimbus 2001?" yelled Harry out of no-where.

Everyone in Greenhouse D turned to Harry, Ron and Hermione. Professor Sprout looked shocked at the yelling.

"I didn't do anything to it, you tosser!" said Ron. "And I know how you handle your things, Kensington. You probably did something to it… and now you've put the blame on me!"

"You two need to calm down," said Hermione with a small smile on her face. "The whole class is watching."

"Who cares?" said Harry. "You destroyed my Nimbus 2001! You destroyed it!"

"No, I didn't!"

"Yes, you did! You'll pay, Johnathan," said Harry. Harry reached into his wand-holster stealthily.

At Harry's sign, Ron did the same.

"Put your wands away this instant!" shouted Professor Sprout.

Harry and Ron ignored her.

"Bombarda!" shouted Harry out of no-where. The spell sped from Harry's wand toward Ron.

Ron ducked and rolled away. "You're not pulling any punches," said Ron. He stood up from where he was on the ground.

"That's how I like to fight—fast and dirty," said Harry with a smirk.

"Good. That's how I like to fight, too," said Ron. "Nebulus!"

The spell was a new spell that Hermione found in one of the defense books in the library. It created a fog that filled up the Greenhouse D.

Hermione coughed. "Oh, no!" she said. "Now what will happen?"

"This!" said Ron. Ron did a quick wand maneuver. "Bombarda-maxima!"

Harry knew the spell was coming before Ron did it. Harry leapt out of the way. The spell ricocheted into a nearby plant that was in a glass bottle.

The glass shattered. The glass flew everywhere in tiny little pieces.

"Let's end this," said Harry.

Harry took a deep breath. He prepared for one last spell.

"What are you going to do?" asked Hermione. She was still smirking.

"I'm going to do something I should have done from the beginning—I'm going to use an Unforgiveable curse," said Harry.

"What?" shouted Hermione with false-dismay. "You can't do that! They're unforgiveable!"

"You do what you have to do," said Harry with false-seriousness. Harry lifted his wand.

Ron stood there with his teeth barred.

"And… CUT!" yelled Hermione.

Harry put down his wand arm. He placed his wand back into his wand-holster calmly.

Ron did the same.

Ron spoke the counter-charm to his Nebulus spell. The fog began to disappear from the greenhouse.

"What in the world is going on?" said Professor Sprout.

"You Americans are crazy!" said a girl who may-or-may-not-have-been Hannah Abbot's clone.

"We wanted to show everyone what they will have the pleasure of learning at our new club," said Harry. "The club is called The War Trials. We will be learning defensive and offensive magical spells that will better serve to help students to defend his or herself."

"Yeah, and we'll have fun, too," said Ron. He grinned.

"You weren't going to use an actual unforgiveable?" asked Hermine with false-surprise.

"Nah," said Harry. "Not this time."


End file.
